Non-toxic liquid in container with multiple conduit built-in drinking straw



DALINE NON-TOXIC LIQUID IN CONTAINER WITH MULTIPLE May 26, 1964 G.

CONDUIT BUILT-1N DRINKING STRAW Filed July l0, 1961 INVENTOR. J 4:01amD. /Ms' EIILE iilllll kas-4 United States Patent O 3,134,680 NliJ-TXECMQUH) 1N CONTAINER WITH MULTHELE CNDUIT BUILT-IN lRl'NKING SWLAW GordonDakine, Rte. 5, Exeeisior, Minn. Filed July 1), 1961, Ser. No. 122,905 3Claims. (Cl. 99-171) This invention relates generally to liquidcontainers and is particularly related to my previously filedapplication for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 709,899, ledJanuary 20, 1958, which subsequently issued as United States LettersPatent No. 2,992,118, on July ll, 1961.

My above identified previously filed application discloses a singlebuilt-in drinking straw with a flexible liquid container. However, theinstant application discloses a multiple conduit built-in drinking strawarrangement which has a number of important advantages over mypreviously filed application which is Vco-pending herewith.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a multiple conduitbuilt-in drinking straw particularly designed for use with flexiblewalled liquid container packages and provides improved rigidity forsuch` a container while also permitting the same to be divided into anumber of separate compartments within which different liquids can beseparately packaged and from which said different liquids can beindividually withdrawn, either simultaneously or at different times.

More specifically, it is an object to provide a liquid container madeentirely from exible sheet material wherein a corrugated panel is formedacross at least a substantial portion of one of the walls in order toprovide a plurality of longitudinal drinking straw passages through thepassages formed by the corrugated panel, thus permitting a liquid to bewithdrawn from the package from several areas across the top thereof.

Itis still a further object to provide a method of manufacturing aliquid container with a multiple conduit builtin drinking strawconstruction.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the views, and in which:

FIG. l is a side elevational view of a container embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective View thereof showing a portion of the upper edgeremoved;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG. l with theupper edge removed entirely and the protective tape partially removed;

FIG. 4 is a Vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along theline 5 5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line6 6 of FIG. 3 but showing the protective tape removed entirely; and

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a modified form of my presentinvention.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, I provide a container made entirelyfrom flexible sheet material which, in the form shown, consists in asingle flexible sheet of heat-sealing material such as polyethylene. Thesheet is doubled back upon itself forming the bottom fold line 9 and thetwo side walls 10 and 11. The side longitudinal edges are sealedtogether as indicated at 12 and 13 of the drawing. A corrugated sheet 14in the form shown is applied to the Wall of the container on the insidethereof and may be connected thereto as by having the ridges 14a thereofadjacent the wall 10 heat-sealed thereto. The other ridges 14b of thecorrugated panel thus form spaced 3,134,680 Patented May 26, 1964conduits 15 across the width the of the panel 1t) or at least asubstantial portion of said width. The lower edge 14e of the corrugatedpanel extends substantially to the bottom fold 9 of the container, andeach of said conduits 15 provides an effective drinking straw throughwhich liquid can be withdrawn from the container when the upper ends ofsaid conduits are exposed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.

After the container has been lled, the upper marginal edge portions ofthe front and back panels 10 and 11 are heat-sealed together, and asindicated at 16. As best shown in FIG. 4, the upper edge of thecorrugated panel 14 terminates at substantially the lower edge of theupper sealed portion 16. Thus, the upper edge forms a reinforced edgeacross which the heat-sealed edge 16 may be torn beginning at thestarting notch 16a, as illustrated. The back panel 10 also has areinforcing and protecting strip 17 removably adhered thereto as by anysuitable non-drying adhesive which would permit such removal asillustrated in FIG. 3. This provides a sanitary protected upper marginalportion on the outside of the panel 10 to permit contact with the lipsof the user after the upper edge has been removed. The sides of thecontainer may be squeezed together to provide clearance for the lips ofthe user to surround the inner wall of the corrugated panel to permitthe liquid to be sucked up through the conduits 15.

The corrugated panel also permits the container to be divided into aplurality of compartments such as the compartments A and B, as shown inFIG. 7, each holding in isolated relation a separate liquid which can beeither separately or simultaneously withdrawn therefrom. The containermay be compartmented by longitudinal sealing an intermediate portion ofthe wall 11 against either the connected ridge 14a of the corrugatedpanel or directly against the back panel 10 if the corrugated panel isapplied in spaced-apart sections. Such a sealed divider is indicated at18 in FIG. 7.

The method of making my container is described as follows: Thecorrugated panel is initially applied to the inner face of the panel 10before the sheet is folded to form the same. Thereafter, the sheet isfolded along the fold line 9 and the edges 12 and 13 sealed together,thus forming the container with the multiple built-in drinking strawarrangement across the panel 10. The protective tape 17 may then beapplied and the container lled and the top edges 16a sealed together.Obviously, it is not essential that the sealing be done by applying heatthereto although this is a convenient way of providing the desiredsealed connection between adjacent surfaces.

It will be seen that I have provided an improved liquid container with abuilt-in drinking straw arrangement wherein a corrugated panel issecured to one inside wall surface, not only providing strength andrigidity for the entire container but also permitting materiallyincreased drinking capacity and permitting the container to be dividedinto a plurality of separate compartments while providing built-indrinking straw construction for all compartments at the time of initialassembly.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangements and proportion of parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention, which generally statedconsists in the matter set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A non-toxic liquid confined within a container comprising:

(a) liquid confining side walls being made from flexible sheet materialwith the bottom and side edges thereof sealingly connected to provide aliquid confining chamber,

(b) a corrugated panel secured to a portion of the inner surface of saidside wall with the corrugations disposed in generally upstandingorientation to form a plurality of spaced generally upstanding drinkingstraw conduits across a substantiall portion of said wall and extendingfrom the upper to the lower portions thereof, and;

(c) means sealing the upper end of said side walls to conne liquidtherewithin with means for removing the upper sealed portion to provideaccess to the upper ends of said conduits.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 and a protective strip removablyapplied to the outside portion of the Wall to which said conduits arexed substantially adjacent the upper ends of said conduits to expose aprotected surface when said strip is removed. Y

3. A non-toxic liquid confined Within a container comprising:

(a) liquid confining side walls being made from flexible sheet materialwith the bottom and side edges thereof sealingly connected to provide aliquid conning chamber,

(b) a corrugated panel secured to a portion of the inner surface of saidside wall with the corrugations disposed in generally upstandingorientation to form l a plurality of spaced generally upstandingdrinking straw conduits across a substantial portion of said wall andextending from the upper to the lower portions thereof, and;

(c) said side wall being sealingly interconnected along intermediateportions thereof to divide the same into a plurality of compartments,said corrugated panel extending across substantial portions of allcompartments to provide drinking straw conduits in each compartment,

(d) means sealing the upper end of said side walls to confine liquidtherewithin with means for removing the upper sealed portion to provideaccess to the upper ends of said conduits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,220,746 Wentz Nov. 5, 1940 2,778,173 Taunton Jan. 22, 1957 2,799,439Pugh July 16, 1957 2,919,694 Von Gunten Jan. 5, 1960 2,928,216 OrsiniMar. 15, 1960 2,992,118 Daline July 11, 1961

1. A NON-TOXIC LIQUID CONFINED WITHIN A CONTAINER COMPRISING: (A) LIQUIDCONFINING SIDE WALLS BEINGMADE FROM FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL WITH THEBOTTOM AND SIDE EDGES THEREOF SEALING CONNECTED TO PROVIDE A LIQUIDCONFINING CHAMBER,